Loire ride for young cancer sufferers: Day 3 – Renaison-Nevers

Charles Eric Pasquiers: on this year's Bordeaux-Paris

Now in Nevers after riding 164 kilometres from Renaison in the Côte Roannaise to here. Riding time was 7.17 minutes, climbing 302 metres (as anticiptated significantly less than the first two days) with an average speed of 22.5 km/h. As Pouilly-sur-Loire is the halfway point in the Loire's descent from the mountains of the Ardèche, I'm now close to 50% of the ride completed. 

Although much of the ride was pretty flat, I was pleased to complete over a 100 miles as it is a long time since I have ridden this distance in a day.

Yesterday I managed to largely miss the rain, but today I got completely soaked through in the second hour of riding with torrential rain turning the road into a stream. 

Tomorrow will be a bit of a rest day with just 60km from Nevers to Chavignol and a chance to see what is happening with the harvest there.

I'm delighted that Charles Eric Pasquiers, the commercial director of Domaine FL, will be joining the ride on Tuesday. I greatly appreciate him giving up time on the eve of the 2014 harvest.

Forez/Roannaise: 5th day – Côtes de Forez

Le Prieurie Romain de Saint Romain le Puy

Saturday was my last day in the Forez/Roannaise with just one visit to Domaine Pic et Vin (Laurent and Christine Demeure plus Pierre Rolle, who has replaced the now retired Daniel Mondon). We started by visiting Le Prieurie Romain de Saint Romain le Puy, where we tasted the three Viogniers made by the domaine. Later I saw the plot where the first Chenin Blanc in the region will be planted before tasting some of the other wines made by the domaine. 

The crypt
 

Eggs laid by a white owl in an opening 
on the way down to the crypt 

 Jean-Paul Lyonnet, président of the Association Aldebertus

 Pierre Rolle (Domaine Pic et Vin)
tasting Viognier in the Prieurie

I forgot to change the light balance 
before I started taking pictures of Pierre 
but like the effect of the blue tinge 


Some of the Viognier planted on the steep slopes 
of a now extinct volcano leading up to the Prieurie  

In two weeks time the first Chenin to be planted 
in the Forez/Roannaise sector 
will be planted here

Ici commence Le Chenin Blanc de la Loire@Boisset Saint-Priest!
This is about 120 kms north of the Loire's source@Mont Gerbier de Jonc

Pierre Rolle imagining future delights from 
their Chenin – fingers crossed!

vin & pic
 

A restrained range of wines from 7.5 hectares!!

The Loire@Nevers on the return journey back to Saint-Pierre des Corps

  

My thanks to the Association Aldebertus for permission to use photos taken in the Le Prieurie Romain de Saint Romain le Puy.